Summary
Cyborgization is the merging of robotic technology and organic matter, creating a hybrid of biological entities and machinery. Cyborgization is frequently depicted across science fiction, and encompasses relatively minor enhancements, such as replacing a lost limb with a robotic limb, to a full-blown body replacement. In most cases, cyborgs are implied to have kept some parts of their physical body unchanged, such as their brain or heart, but as to whether or not that implies any sort of relative weakness varies from fiction to fiction. Cyborgs are commonly portrayed as having some form of Superhuman Physical Characteristics and an enhanced intellect as a result of their machinery, as well as form of Technopathy, but none of these are strict requirements in order for a character to be considered a cyborg. Similarly, cyborgs are generally depicted as having access to a variety of different technologies which may provide an advantage in battle, such as providing the cyborg with Forcefield Creation, Enhanced Senses and Information Analysis, but again the only strict requirement for this ability is the merging of robotics and biological matter.
Types
- Partial - Characters with this type are for the most part fully biological, with the exception of one or more body parts being replaced by machinery, such as an arm or a leg.
- Normal - Characters with this type have their entire outer shell replaced with machinery, with the only remaining organic parts of their body being internal organs and the like.
- Near-Full - Characters with this type have had their entire body replaced with machinery, with the only exception being their brain.
- Robotization - Sometimes called Androidization; although technically more of a form of transformation than full-blown Cyborgization, this type is reserved for characters who were born with a biological body and later had that body fully replaced with machinery. In order to qualify for this type, a character must have no remaining biological components within them at all, although they might still retain parts or all of their original personality and memories even after the transformation. Take note, however, that this type is specifically reserved for characters who were changed into robots altogether, as opposed to simply possessing a robotic shell while still retaining a functioning body of their own.
Notable Users
- Adam Jensen (Deus Ex: Human Revolution; Partial)
- Venom Snake (Metal Gear; Partial)
- Maxima (King of Fighters; Near-Full)
- Cyborg (DC; Partial)
- Cybermen (Doctor Who; varies on type)
- Doctor Nefarious (Ratchet & Clank; Robotization)