Quick Links
- Who is Victor Stone?
- What Happened to Cyborg?
Aliases, personas, and nicknames are important to heroes and villains alike in Cartoon Network’s 2003 Teen Titans series. Slade’s real name is never revealed on the show; in fact, his identity is so shrouded that the momentary loss of his face mask is a moment of palpable vulnerability. He covers his face and retreats into the shadows, abandoning his objective entirely to avoid being perceived. Other villains, like Control Freak and Mad Mod, to name a couple, have given themselves these titles, building a persona around them to create the aesthetic and illusion of mystery and power that they so badly crave.
None of the Titans go by their full given names, though they do all have one. Their assumed identities become a crucial part of their sense of self; this is underscored in the series’ alternate future episode, “How Long is Forever?”. When Starfire is transported twenty years into a future in which the Titans have gone their separate ways, she comes across the now-solo hero Nightwing, formerly Robin (though neither is his given name). Nightwing, with a completely new look, bitterly recounts how he shed the persona of Robin- though he still preserves Robin’s suit in a glass display. Though it is more out of cultural necessity than adopting a persona, Starfire doesn’t go by her real name either; she has a long and illegible name in her native language that is rarely acknowledged. So who was Cyborg before a tragic accident afforded him his mechanical nickname?
Who is Victor Stone?
As revealed in the Teen Titans DC comic book series, Victor Stone is Cyborg’s given name. The Teen Titans TV series hints at this history, though it doesn’t delve into it in any depth whatsoever. In fact, the only allusion to Cyborg’s true identity comes in season three, episode one, “Deception”, where Cyborg goes undercover at the H.I.V.E. Academy using the persona of simply “Stone”. While this is a rather vague reference, Teen Titans has demonstrated subtly throughout the series that it is loyal to the DC comic books of the same name, where the Titans are fleshed out in significantly more detail. With this in mind, a brief reference such as this is all that is needed to confirm that Cartoon Network’s Cyborg is indeed the same Victor Stone detailed in the comics.
Using holographic technology powered by rings sporting blue stones, Cyborg is able to create the appearance of having no mechanical enhancements whatsoever. The tech was his own invention, but even he is pleasantly surprised and enamored with his fully human form. Cyborg is offput when Robin describes him as looking “normal” and embarrassed when Starfire catches him checking himself out in the mirror, though she tries to reassure him by announcing that she prefers his technologically enhanced “original version”.
Heh. This is the original version.
It is reinforced throughout the series that Cyborg is insecure about his mechanical appearance and what it might mean about his humanity. While it is only hinted at in “Deception”, Cyborg clearly has a strong emotional attachment to his identity prior to becoming the superhero he is on the show. In season one, episode five, “Sum of His Parts”, Cyborg is abducted by a robot named Fixit who announces his plan to remove Cyborg’s biological components, rendering him fully robotic. Cyborg panics, insisting that his human elements are the “best parts” of himself. Cyborg’s attitude throughout Teen Titans affirms that his rarely-acknowledged human identity is very important to him, with his enhancements being a sore spot, point of insecurity, and least favorite part of himself.
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Aliases |
Cyborg Stone |
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Played by |
Khary Payton |
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Number of Episodes |
63 |
What Happened to Cyborg?
Before a devastating lab accident that killed his mother and deeply wounded him, Cyborg was a completely human teenage athlete. He had a passion for and future in sports, and greatly enjoyed pushing himself and testing his limits. He loved to give “110 percent”, something that became a physical impossibility after the accident. His father, a scientist like his mother, used his advanced technology to save Cyborg’s life, enhancing him with the abilities his bionic body demonstrates throughout the series. However, Cyborg’s new mechanics pose their share of limitations as well.
The DC Comics further confirm that Cyborg was quickly made to feel ostracized for his biomechanical enhancements. While they saved his life, they robbed him of his athletic passion and future and imposed limitations that prevented him from pushing himself physically- one of his favorite sensations. The series alludes to this once again in season five, episode twelve, “Go!”, a flashback episode detailing the origin story of the Teen Titans. In the comics, Cyborg’s feelings of isolation led him to strike out on his own. “Go!” seems to begin his story at this point, as it follows a lone Cyborg walking the streets of Jump City with a hoodie drawn over his head, not yet acquainted with the rest of the Titans. The acceptance Cyborg felt from the rest of the Titans clearly meant the world to him as he promptly built Titans Tower for the newly formed group, creating the place the crime-fighting teens will call home for years to come.
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