Superhero teams are as critical to the genre as costumes or crime-fighting. Nearly every Marvel or DC fixture works with the rest of the stable in one cross-over or another. Classic groups like the Justice League can give individual superheroes their best spotlight. The Teen Titans haven’t always been heavy hitters, but their early-200s fame survives today. It’s hard to imagine these iconic characters apart, making both of Cyborg’s exits shocking.
The Teen Titans first formed in DC Comics’ Silver Age. Their lineup shifted regularly, as did most superhero teams. Some gained popularity and went solo, while other characters joined the group after other projects didn’t work out. Comic book writers have discovered some icons that work better on a team roster. Cyborg is, arguably, at his best as a part of a balanced unit.
Why did Cyborg leave the Teen Titans?
Cyborg left the Teen Titans twice. He quit the team in the first episode of Teen Titans ever produced. “Divide and Conquer” first aired on August 2, 2003. It was the third episode aired but the first to be created. The episode opens with a fight between the Titans and a powerful stone man named Cinderblock. He defeats the young heroes, prompting Robin and Cyborg to try a new technique. The team-up move fails. They exchange blame and argue until Cyborg storms off. Cinderblock makes off with another villain, Plasmus, while they’re shouting. Robin and the Titans feel the weight of Cyborg’s absence at home and in the field. Cyborg returns swiftly, defeating Cinderblock singlehandedly before successfully landing his and Robin’s team-up attack to knock out Plasmus. This debut depicts Cyborg as an instrumental Titan. It also highlights his willingness to leave.
Cyborg left the Titans on better terms in the show’s two-part season four finale. “Titans East” depicts Cyborg working to establish a new team of heroes. Brother Blood poses a threat to Steel City. Cyborg’s grudge against the Headmaster of H.I.V.E. Academy leads him to hunt the villain down. Cyborg assembles Bumblebee, Speedy, Aqualad, and Más y Menos into Titans East. Robin sent Cyborg to Steel City and asked him to return, but the Titans East desperately wanted him to lead the group. Cyborg fought alongside the Titans East to defeat Blood. When Robin assures Cyborg the Titans still need him, Cyborg decides that the Titans East needs him more.
Cyborg’s other team affiliations
In the comics, Cyborg became a founding member of the Justice League in the 2011 reboot. He occupies several superhero teams, including the Teen Titans and Titans East. The Teen Titans series depicts Cyborg in only two teams. His tenure with the Titans East was brief. Cyborg resigned from the Teen Titans twice for the same reason. He wants to be a leader. Cyborg is canonically Robin’s second-in-command. Robin’s tactical genius and detective skills make him a perfect central figure. Cyborg knows he offers a lot to the team, but some of him wants to take control. The Titans East allow him to achieve his dream while Robin continues his campaign. His tenure is short-lived, but the motivation behind his exit is very real. He even performs his unique version of the Teen Titans theme song:
When there’s trouble, you know what to do – CALL CYBORG! He can shoot a rocket from his shoe – CYBORG! `CAUSE HE’S CYBORG! To the tune of something like that, oh yeah! Na na na na, big fluffy cat! That’s right…!
Does Cyborg return to the Teen Titans?
Cyborg never really gets the chance to lead the Titans East into battle. His exit was partially engineered by Brother Blood, who secretly brainwashed Speedy, Aqualad, Bumblebee, and Más y Menos. They attack Cyborg, prompting him to call the original Titans for help. The Titans East capture Cyborg and drag him to Brother Blood’s lab, where the villain intends to reconstruct Cyborg into a robotic soldier. The Teen Titans arrive to fight the dominated Titans East. The classic Titans win while Cyborg destroys Brother Blood. Blood’s unconsciousness frees the Titans East. They thank the Titans for saving their lives. Cyborg decides to return to the Teen Titans, arguing that they may need him more than Titans East ever did. He elects Bumblebee as his successor. This exchange doesn’t make much sense, as the Titans East would have become robotic slaves without the superior team. The newer group needs more help, while the long-established original model is doing great. On the other hand, the Titans East may have only demanded Cyborg become the leader under Blood’s mind control. Either way, Cyborg’s return to the Teen Titans is better for everyone.
Cyborg quits the Teen Titans twice. His first exit is a temper tantrum that blows over in a day or two. His second was a genuine statement of purpose that may have been ruined by Brother Blood’s mind control. No matter how far east Cyborg travels, he’ll always return to the Teen Titans team he belongs with.
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