WARNING: CONTAINS POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT – THE KRYPTONIAN AGE #5!
Trigger warning: Body horror, non-consensual body modification
Cyborg Gets a terrible new start that now officially binds him to Superman Learn how the fan-favorite Titan is introduced in the sequel to the classic Other worlds History Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. Along with this new connection to the Man of Steel, what makes the reimagining of Victor Stone even more intriguing is that it could signal the beginning of his villainous era, and present the character in a completely unprecedented light.
The contrast with Cyborg’s original origin is stark: instead of a grieving father saving his son from love, this version presents a madman using Victor for his own twisted purposes.
Cyborg was first introduced in the Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age Series in issue #4 – by Andy Diggle, Leandro Fernández and Matt Hollingsworth. In this issue, fans learn that the Victorian era-inspired world has reimagined the Titan as a brilliant patent clerk whose research on the integral quantization of electron energy catches the attention of Lex Luthor.
Luthor, seeing potential in Victor’s intelligence, offers him a position as his assistant. however, When Victor witnesses Luthor experimenting on a human in issue #5, he quickly condemns the villain and rejects the offer, promised to alert the authorities. Little does Victor know, these are the last words he will ever say as a human being.
Origin: How did Victor Stone become a cyborg in mainstream continuity?
Cyborg’s first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 (1980)
Before diving in as Victor becomes Cyborg in Gotham by GaslightIt’s important to first understand its mainstream continuity origins to truly appreciate this 19th-century reimagining. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, Victor Stone made his first appearance in DC Comics Presents #26 (1980). Like many DC characters, Victor’s origin has evolved over time, but the core of his story remains consistent. Victor was a talented, aspiring football player and the son of Silas Stone, a scientist at STAR Labs Focused on advancing human technology.
After a tragic accident, Victor was badly injured, with most of his body destroyed, Silas used cutting-edge technology to transform his son into a part-man, part-machine cyborg. This includes the use of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), advanced robotics and New Gods’ Moder Box technology. At first, Victor was horrified by what his father had done. Angry and confused by his new reality, he lashes out at Silas, telling him he hates him and asking why the “old man” didn’t just let him die. However, Victor eventually came to terms with his new body, setting him on the path to becoming the hero fans know today.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age Gives Cyborg’s origin story a horrific reimagining
Superman’s Lex Luthor is responsible for Victor Stone’s accident and cyborg transformation
Victor’s mainstream continuity origin is already horrifying, with the body horror he endures upon waking to find most of his body gone and replaced with technology. however, Gotham by Gaslight Makes the dark story even darker. After rejecting Luthor’s offer to be his lab assistant and expressing his disgust and intention to report him to the police, Victor drives off, unaware that Luthor has anticipated this response and rigged his car with explosives. Using a remote detonator, Luthor blows up Victor’s vehicle, nearly killing him.
After spending several weeks in a coma, Victor awakens to the horrified realization that most of his limbs are gone, and he is now in Luthor’s personal care. Luthor explains that since Victor is declared dead, he is now nothing more than “raw material” For the villain’s experiments. The unexpected scenario calls for a unhappiness-esque horror, reinforcing the disturbing nature of Victor’s new reality. The contrast with Cyborg’s original origin is stark: instead of a grieving father saving his son from love, this version presents a madman using Victor for his own twisted purposes.
Will Gotham through Gaslight’s cyborg turn to heroism or villainy?
Lex Luthor’s influence on Cyborg could launch Victor Stone’s villain era
With Cyborg’s origins now directly tied to Lex Luthor, it will be interesting to see how this affects Victor’s path to becoming a hero. The change in origin could very well push him to villainy. There are two main reasons why this could happen: First, Victor is essentially at Luthor’s mercy, so Russo’s influence could sway him to follow Luthor’s agenda. Second, Victor may seek revenge against Luthor, leading him down a darker, misguided path. However, it is also possible that Cyborg S Strong moral compass, as hinted in the story, will remain intact, steering him to eventually join Earth’s heroes.
Related
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age #5 is now available from DC Comics!
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Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – The Kryptonian Age #5 (2024) |
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