Cybersix

Cybersix is a series of Argentine comic books created by writers Carlos Meglia and Carlos Trillo. The series first appeared in Spanish in November 1993.

The heroine of the series is the eponymous character, Cybersix, a leather-clad artificial human superhero who by day operates behind the guise of a male high school literature teacher, and by night battles the monstrous biological weapons of her creator. She is aided in her adventures by her younger brother Cyber-29, who is reborn in the body of a black panther known as Data 7. The extended cast includes Cybersix's colleague and love interest Lucas Amato, a student named Lori in love with her male guise, a young street wise kid named Juliann as well as others.

In 1995, the comics were adapted into a poorly-received live-action television series, and again in 1999 into a much more successful thirteen-episode animated series by TMS/NOA, with positive critical reception from sources like the Pulcinella Awards, which first aired in Canada on Teletoon and was later dubbed in several other countries.

Story

Dr. Von Reichter, a member of the SS and the Nazi party, is an expert in genetic engineering. He initially began his work in concentration camps during World War II, implanting cybernetic organs in the bodies of dead prisoners in an attempt to bring them back to life to serve in the Führer's army. However, the Allied forces intervened to defeat the Nazis, so he fled to South America where he once again continued his sinister experiments.

From one of his experiments emerged the Cyber Series — artificial humanoids possessing superhuman strength and agility. But something was amiss: The 5000 original Cybers, engineered to be the perfect servants, mimicked human emotions too closely, displaying free will of their own. When they began disobeying their creator, Von Reichter ordered all of the Cyber Series to be destroyed. By this time, Cyber-29 had already died in a playtime accident when he fell from a tree (a cliff in the animated series), but Von Reichter managed to transfer the dead child's brain into the body of a panther to be reborn as Data 7. Cybersix was the only true Cyber to survive the massacre, escaping with the help of a black slave who hid her away in a fishing village. When the slave was later interrogated and killed by Von Reichter, Cybersix escaped once again and made her way to the fictitious city of Meridiana, where she adopted the identity of a boy killed in a car wreck, Adrian Seidelman, and now battles her evil creator and his minions.

Like all of Von Reichter's creations, Cybersix depends on a mysterious life-giving fluid called "Sustenance". When her supply ran out, she was forced to prowl the city in search of other creatures of Von Reichter's making, such as Frankenstein's monster-like Fixed Ideas or the more human-like Technos, to kill them and take their Sustenance to survive. Almost by accident, she became a hero by defending the people of her city from Von Reichter's malevolent plans, often carried out by his cloned "son" José. Along the way, she meets the resurrected Data 7, as well as a young boy named Julian, and falls in love with biology teacher/reporter Lucas Amato, while her alter-ego, Adrian, became the object of affection of one of his students.

Production history

Comics

The Cybersix comics were originally published in Argentina and written in Spanish between November, 1993 and 1999, and spanned six volumes. Collections were released in French and Italian, with twelve volumes distributed by Editions Vents d'Ouest for the former and forty-five volumes for the latter, but no English or Japanese versions were ever made available. Four special-edition Italian Cybersix issues were also released, in addition to another six documenting Volumes 1 to 18. and character designs were overseen by Teiichi Takiguchi.

The title sequence and closing credits featured lyrics written by Robert Olivier, which were sung by jazz vocalist Coral Egan. Along with the background music, several elements of the cartoon's visual design hint that Meridiana is modeled after Buenos Aires, teeming with decorative sculpture throughout the metropolis, numerous outdoor markets and open-air cafés.

On April 28, 2001, Cybersix won "Special Mention for the Best Science Fiction Program" at the Pulcinella Awards in Italy for that year's competition.

Voice Cast

Michael Dobson as Lucas Amato

Cathy Weseluck as Cybersix/Adrian Seidelman

Alex Doduk as José

Janyse Jaud as Elaine

Andrew Francis as Julian

Terry Klassen as Von Reichter

There were five main cast members who voiced Cybersix. Cathy Weseluck performed the dual role of Adrian Seidelman and Cybersix. Michael Dobson performed the voice of Lucas Amato. Andrew Francis played Julian, while Alex Doduk and Terry Klassen voiced José and Von Reichter, respectively. Additional voices were provided by Janyse Jaud, Brian Drummond, Chantal Strand, and L. Harvey Gold.

Episode list

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Characters

Cybersix

Number 6 of the Cyber series creations, Cybersix dons the identity of high school teacher Adrian Seidelman by day and foils her evil creator's plans by night. In the animated series, not much is revealed about her past. In the comics, she was rescued by a black slave during the massacre of the other 4998 Cyber soldiers because of their developing rebellious nature and growing human emotions. She befriends a young poor boy named Julian and a fellow teacher at school named Lucas Amato, whom she begins to fall in love with. Later on, she is reunited with her younger brother, Cyber-29, reborn in the body of a panther after a tragic playtime accident, as they work together to protect Meridiana from Von Reichter. She is the central protagonist in the show.

Data 7

Previously known as Cyber-29, Data 7 is Cybersix's younger brother. His body was greatly damaged after he fell off the cliff and Von Reichter transplanted Cyber-29's brain into the body of a panther. Data 7 has a series of flashbacks of his death, before remembering Cybersix. After seeing a picture of the two of them as children, Data 7 remembers how he died and who Cybersix was. Data 7 joins Cybersix in her plans to foil Von Reichter's plans. He is seen to be very protective of Cybersix, often taking hits for her, trying desperately to save her from danger and even following her during a school field trip after she is injured from the previous night. Data 7 is very obedient to Cybersix, and rarely ever objects to what she says.

Julian

Julian is a young street kid and possibly an orphan, due to the fact that he is seen living on his own with no family. He is forced to pick pocket against his own will until Cybersix promises to take him somewhere safer. He tries to help Cybersix during her fights, but is often rescued by her instead. He lives on a small boat tied to the harbour. Data 7 is often sent by Cybersix to make sure that he doesn't interfere or get in trouble.

Lucas Amato

Lucas is a fellow teacher who meets Cybersix one night. He is also her friend when she is Adrian Seidelman at the school. He often has dinner with Adrian at the cafe while Lucas talks on about Cybersix, who visits him almost every night. He eventually begins to fall in love with Cybersix and kisses her before she heads off to fight Von Reichter. In the epilogue, he holds Adrian's glasses after finding that Adrian is Cybersix and heads to her apartment to see a light on.

Von Reichter

Von Reichter is the creator of Cybersix and the other Cyber series. He is the main antagonist in the show. His plans are often carried out by his clone/son José. Von Reichter is often disappointed with José. After José's betrayal, Von Reichter was presumed to be killed by his own creations, of whom he tried to send to kill Cybersix in their final showdown.

José

A very stuck up, self-centered, ill-tempered, and bossy young man, José is the clone and son of Von Reichter, created to succeed him in case of death, and is usually the one to carry out Von Reichter's plans, though they almost never work. Despite his child-like appearance (and behaviour),José is really an adult, but his father engineered him to have eternal youth to prevent him from growing up to be a potential rebel. In the end, he betrays Von Reichter after feeling cheated by his final plan.

Lori

Lori is a young student in Adrian Seidelman's class. She has a huge crush on Adrian and heads to his apartment in one episode, only to see Cybersix talking to Data 7 (she could not see Data 7 and simply assumed she was talking to Adrian). Cybersix later reveals who she is to Lori and gives her Adrian's glasses.

Differences between media

The method by which Cybersix obtains sustenance is different among the series' incarnations. In the comic book, Cybersix sucks sustenance directly from the neck of those she hunts as if she were a vampire; however, she does not have fangs, instead simply making a wound in the victim's neck with her teeth, then drinking the sustenance that bleeds from it. Conversely, in the animated series, Von Reichter's creations leave glowing vials of sustenance after being killed, which Cybersix would open and consume.

Cybersix's outfit of black bodysuit, high heels, hat, cropped gloves, and cape with red lining was taken from a Techno prostitute in the comics, while its origin is never fully explained in the animated television series.

Some of the more mature story elements, such as José's and Von Reichter's Nazi background or Cybersix's youth, are not openly revealed in the animated series, but are suggested through dialogue, flashbacks, or visual clues, such as the military-style goose-stepping that both José and Von Reichter engage in.

The animated series was heavily toned-down from the comics. Violence was reduced, and mentions of sex and drugs were absent.

References

External links

Telecom's official Cybersix page (English)

Telecom's official Cybersix page (Japanese)

Cybersix @ International Superheroes

Category:1993 introductions Category:Argentine comics titles Category:Anime-influenced animation Category:Science fiction comics Category:Animated television series Category:Fox Kids Category:Fox network shows Category:1999 television series debuts Category:1999 television series endings Category:Fictional women soldiers and warriors