Top 10 Resurrected Cyborgs

Welcome again to the Guide to Geekdom. In order to celebrate the month of October and the spirit of Halloween, I’ve decided to write up a top 10 list about the dead, more specifically about how they came back as cyborgs. To be fair not all of the characters on this list actually have died but instead were mortally wounded and were saved by becoming cyborgs. As per usual I have a few notable mentions that didn’t make the cut:
-General Grievous (Star Wars)
-Inspector Gadget (Inspector Gadget)
-Metallo (Superman)

So without further ado here is my Top 10 Resurrected Cyborgs.

10: Kuma (Afro Samurai)

If you could be brought back as a cyborg teddy bear which is symbolic of your dead sister’s favorite toy, would you want to be? Kuma is seeking vengeance against Afro Samurai for killing their master and taking the Number Two headband. It’s this need for vengeance that made him decide to come back as a cyborg to become more than a match against Afro. He later undergoes more cybernetic enhancements in the movie, such as adding a cigarette to his bear helmet, awesome.

9: Baxter Stockman (TMNT)

What do you do when you can no longer hold onto your body parts? You keep adding new parts. Throughout this series, Stockman started off as an average mad scientist with an interest in mechanics, before slowly ending up as a brain in a jar. Of course he eventually made an entirely robotic body that houses his loose brain, which includes a holographic device that portrays his former complete body, but I doubt he will be able to hold onto this body for long either.

8: The Bionic Man (The Six Million Dollar Man)

Steve Austin, astronaut.  A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better… stronger…faster. We have the capabilities of building the first bionic man. We all know this classic piece of work. We all know that the best bionics money can buy allow you to move in super slow motion to function at maximum efficiency.

7: James T. Kirk (The Return {Shatnerverse})

What happens when the character you’re famous for performing is nonchalantly killed in a new movie? You write a way for him to come back, as a cyborg. William Shatner wrote a novel where Kirk’s body was discovered by the Borg and resurrected back to life. Sent to destroy the Federation, Kirk later breaks free and rejoins Starfleet in order to destroy the Borg once and for all (which killed him again, but Shatner brought him back again in his second novel by saying someone beamed him out at the last second).

6: Franky (One Piece)

I will tell you right now that I am a huge fan of One Piece. Sorry if this deters you from me. Cutty Flam was an engineer who alongside his teacher and fellow student built the first sea train. Due to the secret operations by the government, Cutty’s teacher was going to be framed for a terrorist attack and be executed, being transported to his execution on his own train. Cutty tried to stop this and stood in front of the train, he was subsequently hit by the train. Using his engineering skills Cutty rebuilt himself as a cyborg that runs off of Cola, and changed his name to Franky so that the government wouldn’t recognize him. He has recently rebuilt himself to be almost a human tank, with nipple lights.

5: Tony Stark (Iron Man)

No life changing lesson is better taught than to be struck by your own weapon. Tony Stark realized that his war profiteering wasn’t helping the world at all, when he was injured by the opposing side with his own bomb. With the help of another captive, Tony was able to rebuild himself with an arc reactor in his chest and building a suit of high tech armor that runs off of the device that is keeping him alive. Iron Man has become one of the world’s favorite superheroes. If only he could stop his narcissism, he would be a good role model too.

4: Commander Shepard (Mass Effect 2)

When you’re the savior of the galaxy, it’s a smart thing to try and stay alive. Unfortunately, Shepard was killed by the Collectors for his role in winning the battle of the Citadel. Shepard was then brought back to life as a cyborg by the ‘human interest group’, Cerberus, in order to save humanity and the galaxy once again. Depending on who you are, Shepard can be your greatest friend or the greatest @$$hole who cares for no one, either way, Commander Shepard is still one of the greats.

3: Robocop (Robocop)

It’s hard being a good cop in a bad place. Alex Murphy learned that the hard way when he was gunned down by an entire drug cartel. Fortunately for him, the police station he works for was recently bought by OCP, who were looking for subjects for their Robocop program. Being forced to follow 4 directives, Robocop goes out to solve the issue of crime in Old Detroit. Later he is able to prove that the man he was still exists behind his metal shell, by overcoming his directives and solving the case of his murder.

2: Cyborg (Teen Titans)

Victor Stone was once one of the greatest up and coming athletes. Victor was a troubled youth trying to get away from his overbearing scientist parents, before being horribly mutilated in an accident. His father rebuilt him using experiment prosthetics. Victor’s body was mostly replaced with sheer metallic parts with little of his actual body remaining. Dealing with the shock of his new body, Victor ended up using his new body as a super hero, joining the Teen Titans and becoming one of their more prominent members.

1: Darth Vader (Star Wars)

‘He’s more machine now than man, twisted and evil’

Anakin Skywalker is the greatest story of how good intentions can go horribly wrong. Wanting to save his wife from the prophecy of her death that he foresaw in his own visions, Anakin turned to the dark side of the force and became Darth Vader. Tragically it is this choice of his that ultimately leads to her fate as well as his own. Needing to be stopped, his friend and mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi strikes him down and leaves him for dead on a lava planet. Being found by his Emperor, Vader’s life is saved through the extensive use of cybernetics and life preserving technology. Though his body may be a shadow of its former glory, Vader is still a force to be reckoned with. Anakin is the ultimate tragic figure, and his fate as one of the dark lords of the sith and becoming the greatest cyborg come only because of his deep love for his wife.

I’m your Guide to Geekdom, and Happy Halloween.